


The Story of How...

by djh_one



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Unbetaread as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/djh_one/pseuds/djh_one
Summary: ''It wasn’t always like this, Ahsoka would know if it was, but theirs was a growing bond; growing and shaping itself with both of their memories and feelings.''A series of short moments from their relationship.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 17
Kudos: 106





	The Story of How...

_ It’s so cold… _

Rex knew Bacta tanks weren’t warm springs, but he usually didn’t feel this cold after being in one. Maybe it was the long necks’ doing, they must have changed something in the water again. It wasn’t like they cared if one of them caught a cold anyway. 

He readied himself for the piercing white lights and opened his eyes slowly, only to see darkness. The only light source was the screens of the machines they plugged him into. Longnecks didn’t care for their comfort, either. Perhaps it was another one of their little experiments. They could be testing their reactions in an unfamiliar situation or something.

After mentally preparing himself for the blinding light to return, he made a move to sat up, only to realize he couldn’t lift his arm.

No, it wasn’t that he couldn’t raise it, it was because it went numb. He slowly lifted his head off the pillow to see what was wrong.

_ Oh my… _

His lower arm was under Ahsoka’s head and his hand was sandwiched between her own.

_ Now that explains the cold and the darkness. _

She was snoring lightly but it wasn’t surprising as her head was in a weird position; she tended to that when she wasn’t comfortable. She was sitting on the ground with her upper body leaning against the side of the bed. Longnecks didn’t even bother to give her something to sit on.

_ Well, it’s a miracle she is allowed here. _

The clones were, as they called,  _ Kaminoan property;  _ that meant no commlinks, no allowed visitors, no leaving unless they told you so. Ahsoka must have fought hard to be in the room.

‘‘Don’t wake her up,’’ Someone, Coric to be specific, whispered beside him. ‘‘She only fell asleep a little while ago.’’

He turned his head to see his brother better. There were a few machines between them that made it hard to look into each other’s eyes, but even so, just hearing his voice was relaxing.

_ At least I’m not the only survivor. _

‘‘I should.’’ He replied in the tiniest voice he could manage, ‘‘Her neck will hurt this way.’’

There was some shuffling around, he guessed it was another trooper turning around in his sleep, only after it stopped did Coric speak again.

‘‘Better than her heart hurting.’’

Rex didn’t have any objection to that. Still...

‘‘My hand went numb.’’

Coric stifled his laugh beside him. Even though he couldn’t see him, he could sense he was enjoying his misery a little too much for his liking.

‘‘Open and close your fingers, that should do the trick.’’ Rex was glad at least his medic friend gave some useful advice.

He tried to do it as slowly as possible, careful not to wake the little Togruta, but it was harder than he thought. Rex knew Ahsoka’s montrals were sensitive to noise, but now he realized they were also sensitive to the slightest movements.

Her montral’s twitched, like an equivalent of a person stirring awake, but she didn’t open her eyes. He waited for her breath to slow before he spoke again, just for good measure.

‘‘I can’t, she will wake up.’’

Another fit of stifled laughter. This time he wished he could throw him a pillow.

‘‘Then say goodbye to your arm, Cap’.’’

He let out a huff and turned his back to his brother. Medications in his system were getting the best of him, he was going to fall asleep soon.

He could feel Ahsoka’s soft breath hitting his hand regularly, lulling him to sleep.

_ It’s safe… _

The next time he opened his eyes, everything was back to normal. The white lights were back and his hand was no longer numb. He lifted his now-free hand over his eyes, ghost breathing still tickling his skin.

‘‘She left for breakfast, I think,’’ Coric spoke, looking as smug as he sounded. ‘‘Just for the record, her neck was stiff.’’

That made him feel guilty, he really should have woken her up.

‘‘The second I leave you alone you start gossiping about me.’’ She made them both jump in surprise. Ahsoka was trotting to where they were stationed, a wide smile on her dark lips. ‘‘You should be ashamed of yourselves.’’

‘‘Excuse you, ma’am. I was just sharing my observation as a medic.’’

Ahsoka shot him a ‘ _ yeah, right’  _ look but didn’t comment on it. She was more than glad to have her boys back.

‘‘ _ They _ said you should be good to go tomorrow. Of course, you won’t see any action at least for a few days.’’

Rex seemed unsure about the latter part.

‘‘Is that what they said?’’ He asked in disbelief. The longnecks he knew would be rushing them back to front lines. Ahsoka sheepishly smiled and put a hand over the back of her head; just like General Skywalker when something went slightly out of his plan.

‘‘Nope! That’s your CO’s orders.’’

‘‘I thought you were just  _ Ahsoka,  _ little’ un. Or was all that ‘ _ leave formalities aside’ _ thing a lie?’’

His eyes were perfectly used to the light by now, so he could perfectly see her stripes darkening. She crossed her arms over her chest and let herself be comfortable on Coric’s bed, a pout decorating her mouth.

‘‘You guys are mean. And after I put forward Master Yoda’s name so I could stay with you...’’

Coric gently grabbed her hand and put it on his chest, giving it a few rubs.

‘‘Now, now Ahsoka,’’ he said, ‘‘We are glad you have our back.’’ His tone could be taken as a joke, but his eyes held galaxies worth of sincerity. Ahsoka squeezed back automatically.

Coric seemed taken aback for a moment, then turned to face Rex.

‘‘I just understood what you meant.’’ He looked like a mad scientist that just made a major discovery. ‘‘I just felt like the whole galaxy was before my eyes.’’

In contrast to Ahsoka, Rex knew just what he was talking about. Ahsoka had a habit of holding hands of the troopers, Rex included, and it often resulted in awe on their side. Every single person who’d held her hand saw just what their Jedi had; a massive, almost terrifying being living in them.

‘‘Wha’daya mean?’’ Ahsoka asked curiously. Her eyes were fixed on her hand as she was trying to understand what was wrong with it.

‘‘Nothing, little’ un,’’ Rex answered on Coric’s behalf who was still in shock. ‘‘Coric just got excited a girl held his hand.’’

She chuckled at his remark and tightened her hold on the medic’s hand.

‘‘There, there, Coric ol’ boy. I can hold your hand whenever you want.’’

They all laughed at that, some other curious troopers joining them. She sent a smile their way and jumped off the bed, taking her hand back gently.

‘‘I should check on the boys, just say my name if you need anything.’’

They both nodded, assuring her they would, and watched her walk towards the other troopers. As soon as she left Coric leaned towards Rex but got stopped by a hand raised to his face. Rex put a finger over his lips and shushed him. Ahsoka could hear better than them, he really didn’t want her to think they were gossiping.

Coric seemed to understand his meaning and leaned back on his bed. Looking at his hand with piercing eyes.

‘‘Dude, I can’t wait to do it again.’’ He finally said, lowering the said hand. Rex chuckled at his comment and covered his eyes with an arm, a smirk on his lips.

_ Yeah, me too.  _

* * *

Rex turned off his datapad and rested his head on the back of his chair. He was done with writing and signing reports. He checked the Chrono; he could make in time for their game night.

One of the best things about their barracks was that they were given a very big area for resting and playing around. There was a grav-ball field, a target shooting range, lots of dartboards, a big pool for underwater training, gyms and libraries… Even though they were only allowed limited times a week to be in there -because it would make them used to peace and that was strongly discouraged- it was nice to have such luxuries.

Rex stood up from his chair and took one last look at the workroom, everything looked tidy and neat. He left his room and walked down the long corridor that would take him directly to the game area. On his way he grabbed a cup of caf from the mass hall, he would need all the energy he could get.

When he turned the corner and opened the door, he saw some of his brothers were already in the field, having a practice match it seemed. It wasn’t surprising as this was counted as a physical exercise; and just like every practice session, one had to warm up to avoid unnecessary injuries.

What surprised him was their unexpected guest, hunched over and sitting on a crate farther from the field. She was watching the play intensely, her eyes following the ball with her predatory instincts. He leaned against a door to watch it, he was more than amused to see this.

She was making excited faces whenever the team she supported made a goal and got sad whenever the other party did. Upon seeing her reactions, he was sure she supported Coric’s team from her heart.

Even though the men were mostly used to her now she was choosing to hide rather than supporting them from the seats around the field. Maybe it was her shyness, or maybe it was fear of rejection -which sounded more logical-, but the reasons didn’t change the fact that she was almost invisible to the others. The only reason Rex realized her was because he was coming up behind her.

He walked as casually as possible, quiet not to disturb anyone else but enough to let her know he was approaching. He thought she could sense him from a few klicks away but unfortunately, she was immersed in the game.

‘‘Hey, little’ un.’’ He called out gently. When that didn’t work, he reached a hand forward.

She literally jumped when he touched her shoulder. Fortunately for her, everyone else was focused on the game to see her.

‘‘Rex! I almost had a heart attack!’’ She whisper-yelled, ‘‘A little warning would be nice.’’

He shrugged and seated himself next to her.

‘‘I called your name but you didn’t hear me.’’

She didn’t comment on it but the color change of her stripes was answer enough. It was a natural reaction, you usually couldn’t sneak up on a Jedi, after all.

‘‘I was watching the match.’’ She said apologetically, ‘‘I guess I got too into it.’’

‘‘You know,’’ Rex started in a tone that screamed he had come up with an idea, ‘‘I think you would be a good player.’’

She was an apex predator. Even without the Force, she had a great number of advantages that could be useful; advanced hearing, advanced vision, advanced reflexes… If she were a teammate, they would be invincible.

‘‘Why not try it your hand at it?’’

Ahsoka pulled her legs closer to her body and hunched even further. She really was all bones and skin; he made a mental note to speak with General Skywalker on her diet.

‘‘I don’t think they would like it.’’ She said in a small voice. Her eyes were focused on the players but he knew her mind was elsewhere. ‘‘You have very little time to enjoy yourselves, I don’t want to butt in your fun.’’

He didn’t admit it to her, but some of the troopers were still wary of her. They trusted her or at least followed her, but inviting her to one of their socializing times without consulting them would be rude. He decided to change the topic a little.

‘‘Speaking of free time, what brings you here? Last time I checked today was your off-day.’’

‘‘It was… I attended all my classes and even practiced on my own but by the time I finished, it was still noon. I thought I could visit to say hello.’’

She must have looked for familiar faces but to her dismay Checkers was out and Coric was in the field. He wanted to ask why she didn’t search for him but found the question meaningless; she knew he worked on reports.

‘‘Hey, Captain!’’ Coric from the field yelled his name, and upon seeing Ahsoka with him saluted casually. ‘‘Ahsoka!’’

She waved a hand at him and grinned at the use of her name. She was working on that, trying to get everyone to call her by her name rather than a cold ‘ma’am’.

‘‘Where is General?’’ Rex asked when the attention was back on the game.

‘‘Chancellor asked for him for some reason.’’ Her annoyance was clear as Naboo’s waters. Her cheeks filled with air and her mouth became a tight pout. Rex chuckled at her face, with the white markings moving and becoming more compact, her face appeared smaller than usual, making her look cute.

‘‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’’ He apologized, raising his hands in the air. ‘‘It’s just that you looked-’’ He stopped himself from completing that sentence, it would be a serious break of regs.

‘‘You will hang around, right?’’ Once again a change of topics was his savior. ‘‘You owe me a round of darts, little’ un.’’

She looked a little taken aback by that, but quickly caught on his meaning.

‘‘Last time we played I won a dinner, Rexter. You really want to add drinks on that?’’ Her usual glow was back, which immediately lifted his mood in return.

‘‘Wait till this match ends, Ahsoka, and we will see who pays for drinks.’’

He got to his feet before waiting for an answer and walked into the field where his brothers were waiting for him. They quickly formed two teams and started the match.

Though Rex’s mind wasn’t in the game as it was listing all the possible restaurants to eat out.

* * *

‘‘I’m here, Boss. I’ve got you.’’ She was holding the trooper’s head in her lap, putting pressure on the man’s chest wound. ‘‘Help will arrive soon, just wait a little longer.’’

The blood in her hands was mixed with her sienna colored skin. She shook his head gently to make him open his eyes.

‘‘Ma-’’ A fit of cough caught him, ‘‘Ma’am...’’ He managed after a few tries. Blood was coming out of his mouth and dripping down his neck. Ahsoka kept on begging him to hang there a bit more. ‘‘Ma’am...’’ He spoke again, much harder because of all the blood in his mouth.

A tear fell on Boss’s face, mixing with the red and disappearing under his chin. Ahsoka bent forward so now his head was on her chest. The wound was long forgotten, they were both aware it was useless now, and Ahsoka’s now free hand was hanging over Boss’ temple.

‘‘I will never forget you, Boss.’’ She closed her eyes and whispered into his ear. ‘‘May the Force be your guide, my dear friend.’’

A weak hand made a move to grab her hand, missing it due to losing too much blood. Ahsoka helped him and grabbed his first. He was mouthing some words, trying to voice it through everything that clogged his throat. Ahsoka put her ear against his mouth and held her breath.

‘‘Th...nk….ou’’

Rex didn’t know for how long she held his body close to her body, never letting his hand fall from her fingers, and aggressively refusing to get treated by the field medics.

He sat close to her but didn’t dare comment. She was still new to seeing death from this close. If what they were saying about Jedi was true, if they really could  _ feel  _ death, he didn’t even want to imagine what she was going through.

‘‘Don’t you dare die on me.’’ She spoke just after Coric and Kix came to put Boss in a body bag. She was still in her position as if Boss was still in her lap. ‘‘Don’t you dare, Rex.’’

Her wet eyes hit him like a podracer; hard, fast and painful. He moved closer to her to offer some comfort, to let her know Boss died knowing he was to be remembered, but Ahsoka acted first.

She placed her forehead against the crook of his neck and hugged his neck tightly. Even though she was standing on her knees and Rex was sitting upright, she had to pull him down a little. His awkward hand stood in the air for a moment before they carefully found their place around her small waist.

He was a man of his words and thus couldn’t promise her anything relating to staying alive. They never knew what awaited them. And they were designed to be expandable.

It was the best if she was aware of this, as well.

‘‘I promise I will try to stay alive as long as possible, little’ un.’’ He said when he heard a sniff and felt something wet his black fatigues. ‘‘It’s the best I can offer.’’

She nodded and got up, walking towards where their temporary medical tent was and leaving Rex with the weight of two hearts in one.

* * *

‘‘Are you really sure about it?’’ Rex asked his eyes on the emptiness of the planet. ‘‘Ahsoka, I only heard the rumors and even I can tell it’s no good.’’

Ahsoka’s head was resting on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her lekku had gotten so long they were almost touching the ground in this position.

‘‘It’s Master Yoda, Rex. He wouldn’t be sending us to our deaths...’’  _ for nothing at least,  _ she added mentally.

_ When I say change, I mean death…  _

Her exchange with Bendu was… confusing, to say the least. She didn’t say a word to Rex about that, not even a slight mention. Had he knew, he would never let her go alone. But Malachor was dangerous even for Force-sensitives and Rex had still a lot to do in their Rebellion. She couldn’t risk his life.

‘‘All I’m saying is I have a bad feeling about this.’’

She let out a low chuckle, deep and rich. He might have aged physically, but his instincts were sharp as ever.

‘‘Me, too.’’ She said after a few breaths. ‘‘But I trust Master Yoda.’’

She was determined to finish this once and for all. If it meant they could stop the Empire, even the slightest chance, she would give up on her life. She lived a pretty eventful life, she wouldn’t have any regrets.

Except maybe  _ that one thing. _

‘‘Ahsoka, I-’’ Rex stopped herself and shook his head as if the words bit him mid-sentence. ‘‘You will return,  _ right _ ?’’

It was his way of asking if she saw anything in the Force. She, indeed, tried to see her way but the visions were as blank as Tattoine’s vast deserts. It felt as if something was blocking her view, giving her a headache; a big black lump of nothingness.

‘‘Getting too attached to me, aye Captain?’’ She asked, playfully nudging him. ‘‘It’s against the regs, I believe.’’

The Empire wiped out everything about the clones, including their memories before that  _ order _ , so it was extremely satisfying that someone, even if it was a single person, remembered what their life was like before this shitshow.

‘‘Come on, you knew many of those bases. You wouldn’t go all that way to find me only to get that information. Admit it, it’s you who is  _ too attached  _ to me.’’

Ahsoka smirked at his comment, he was still the clever man she remembered. She thought about dodging the question and changing the topic but something in her told Ahsoka she wouldn’t have a second chance.

‘‘That I can agree.’’ She said softly, her free hand covering Rex’s one. He parted his fingers so Ahsoka’s could fit between them. It was always like that with him whether they were brothers in arms or simply friends hanging out, whether they were two war veterans or rebels; they had a strong bond between them. It wasn’t always like this, Ahsoka would know if it was, but theirs was a growing bond; growing and shaping itself with both of their memories and feelings.

‘‘Promise me you will do everything to survive.’’ He said, suddenly feeling calmer. Maybe it was her using the Force, or maybe it was simply his own emotions finally settling, he didn’t care for he finally was at peace.

‘‘If you promise me you will keep going even if I’m no longer.’’ She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked into his deep amber eyes. ‘‘Promise to let go of me, because I would.’’

_ I _ _ could  _ went unsaid between them. She had lost everything she held dear, it would hurt to lose the last thing she had left, but she could if it came to that. She had to make sure he  _ could _ , too.

‘‘I experienced it a few times,’’ Rex spoke, a deep nostalgia in his eyes. With his free hand, he cupped Ahsoka’s cheek. ‘‘I think I can handle it for another time.’’

He had let go of her when she left the order and had let go of her when they got separated after the failed Siege, not seeing each other for fifteen years. It was the life of a soldier; the person on your right sometimes didn’t make it back. They were both aware of it, had tasted the pain themselves many, many times.

Ahsoka nodded at him and her own free hand held Rex’s cheek.

‘‘I promise I will try to come back.’’ She whispered for his ears only.

‘‘I promise to go on my life even if you can’t.’’ He answered to her swear, reflecting her emotions.

Gravitating towards him felt like she got too close to a Sun; her usual cold skin burned with a fire she had never felt before. It was almost the Force itself that pulled them towards each other.

They were breathing each other now, faces drawn too close but both scared to move any more. They knew the risks they were taking; there was no possible future for them, not while the Empire was in charge at least. One of them could die at any moment and it wouldn’t even be surprising. They both died before and lived with the fact.

‘‘Let’s save this for my return.’’ Ahsoka finally said, being the first to pull back. ‘‘ _ If _ I return.’’

Rex cleared his throat and pulled himself back, his hand still hanging on Ahsoka’s cheek. He gave a gentle squeeze and rubbed the markings under his fingers.

‘‘That is if I’m still here by then.’’

The enemy wasn’t the thing waiting for her on Malachor, it was time. His accelerated aging got worse every passing minute and she was unable to something for it. She was ready to lose him to an enemy, that was expected, but she wasn’t ready to lose him because of a damned longneck’s curse.

She only managed to nod at him and suddenly an idea popped up in her head. She put pressure in his head and pulled him towards herself, pressing their foreheads together.

First Rex closed his eyes, then Ahsoka followed suit. They stood there, heads resting against each other, and listening to the other’s heartbeats for the last time for all they knew.

‘‘They’re coming,’’ Ahsoka whispered as she pulled back a second time. ‘‘The ship must be ready.’’

It was time to leave again. Rex got up to his feet and reached a hand for Ahsoka to grab. When they were eye-to-eye he lifted a hand to his brow, saluting her with a serious face.

‘‘General Tano, Commander Rex of 501st and 332nd is proud to have served by your side.’’

First, she was called a Jedi Knight by Bendu and now she was getting called General by Rex… Maybe it was her field promotion day. She mentally laughed at herself but kept her facade.

She saluted back in kind.

‘‘Commander Rex, General Tano of 501st and 332nd is proud to have served by your side. May we reunite again.’’

Ezra walked towards them to see Ahsoka and Rex saluting each other. They turned towards him in unison and laughed at the same time.

‘‘Uuh- came to let you know the ship is ready?’’

Ahsoka let out a,  _ yeah, I know _ and looked back at Rex with knowing eyes. They led the way together, with Ezra on their tail, to an unknown future waiting for them.

* * *

Rex was hanging in a cantina on Lothal, living his probably last days in peace. He wished he could say he was happy and content, but after being in too many battles, both in the republic and in the rebellion, saying he was restless would be an understatement. He lived his days as actively as possible; but active on Lothal just meant waking up and hanging out in the streets before returning to his small home to sleep. It wasn’t that he was unable to move, he still had enough stamina to carry him to the Unknown regions and back, it was that there was nothing to do on Lothal except for playing darts and going to cantinas to chat with his friends.

He was offered a few jobs which he politely declined. All his life he was a soldier, becoming a farmer wasn’t even his last option.

Though he wished there were at least some big animals to hunt down; it would have brought excitement.

He ordered himself another soft drink and let himself be drowned by the music. A lady was singing with a group of people playing instruments behind her, it was nice and relaxing; perfect for a day this slow.

‘‘Hey again, Rex.’’ The owner stopped by him, his order already on his table. 

‘‘Hey, Galwy.’’ He said in return and reached for his pocket to pay. Galwy held his arm stop him with a wink.

‘‘A beautiful lady covered it.’’ He motioned somewhere behind him with his head, making ridiculous faces because for one, Rex was  _ old _ so it was very unlikely to get hit by women; and for two, they all knew he turned down every single one. He wasn’t interested in those things, not when he was still a shiny and definitely not now.

He leaned to his side to look at that  _ lady _ , but there was nobody there. He must have looked very confused because his reaction made Galwy turn around, too.

‘‘Guess the chick is shy...’’ He let out a sigh and put a hand on Rex’s shoulder in defeat. ‘‘And here I was thinking you were lucky to have an  _ exotic _ woman.’’

‘‘Exotic? Like a Twilek?’’ The most exotic woman he ever got to knew was a Twilek and they were too common to be  _ exotic.  _

‘‘Ohoho, no my friend. No Twilek I know has those colors.’’

Now he was interested… Maybe, a little bit. Galwy looked like he was trying to remember something, then a light shone through his eyes.

‘‘Oh, oh! She had a loong staff. Prolly around your age, too. Aw maan, it’s a shame she is gone.’’

After Galwy left him to attend to another customer, Rex took a look at his drink. Thinking about the long-gone chance wasn’t going to gain him anything, so he shrugged and reached for his cup.

But the cup moved.

He blinked his eyes a few times and rubbed them to make sure his eyesight was still okay. He only had soft drinks, they weren’t even counted as alcohols; that meant he wasn’t drunk on anything. He lifted his head to eye the crowd suspiciously. Someone was messing with him; a quick calculation of possible force-sensitive people who could pull a game like that passed through his mind; only one person came up.

He suddenly found himself running for the door; the drink, the music, everything lost in his haze. He pushed open the door with all the force left in him and searched for that person frantically. Just a passing sight would be enough.

‘‘Wanna make good use of that promise?’’ A voice spoke from behind. He turned around and felt the sudden move deep in his neck; kriff, he really was getting old. There was nothing in front of him, but fortunately, he could think enough to lift his head.

There she was with her legs dangling over the edge, a hood over her head creating two small mountains and a smooth valley in between, the mentioned staff in her hand. She got old, not as in age -though she also aged beautifully-, but as in the lines on her face adding a newly found maturity.

‘‘Well, I’m still here, aren’t I?’’ The words fell out of his mouth, a pleasant warmness in his chest. She jumped from the roof and landed with a soft thud. She stood a little further away from him and for a moment he wondered if this was him finally losing his mind. The light shining on them made her appear mystical with her white clothes.

‘‘You are.’’ She echoed. She looked like she was going to add something, just like that time they saw each other after their 15 years of separation, but stopped herself again. This time it was Rex who threw his arms around her.

He grabbed her and lifted her feet off the ground, spinning around himself a few times. Her arms were around his neck in a tight grip. It was a blessing they were the same height now, though Ahsoka’s montrals added a good few inches on him.

‘‘How?’’ He asked on their way to his home. How did you not die? How did you get back? How are you here now? He wanted to ask a million questions but knew better than that. She was back and they had all the time; he had no intention of letting her go once again.

‘‘Long story.’’ Ahsoka started. He realized she wasn’t using the staff to walk but was rather carrying it. ‘‘I will tell you everything.’’

‘‘You better.’’

They got inside and Rex served her water and some ration bars. He didn’t expect company so he only had those. They were sitting on Rex’s makeshift bed. In his defense, he was never a man of comfort.

She told him everything, from the point Ezra and Kanan left Malachor to the moment she landed on Lothal. She spoke and spoke, putting all her emotions in her sentences. What happened on that planet, what happened after she got out of the World Between Worlds, what happened once she was back in space and on her way back to Lothal.

It took so long that it was evening when she was done, and yet so short he couldn’t have enough of her voice.

‘‘I promised Ezra I would find him,’’ She said after a while, ‘‘and I plan on keeping my promise. I stopped by Sabine to ask her.’’

‘‘She agreed, of course.’’ They were a found family of their own, it was no surprise. Ahsoka nodded but didn’t comment on it.

‘‘I want you to come with me.’’

Rex wanted to ask  _ where exactly. _ They didn’t have any planned destination, only a few visions here and there. But the look in Ahsoka’s eyes was the same as that day she left for Malachor. Even if it meant death, she would follow Ezra and bring him back.

But this time Rex had no intention of letting her go alone.

‘‘Well, it’s not like I have much to do here anyway.’’ He answered, casually gesturing his mostly empty one-room house.

Ahsoka shook her head side to side and grabbed Rex by the shoulder, looking directly into his eyes with her piercing gaze.

‘‘I want you to  _ come _ with me. Not just for this mission, not just for a tour around the galaxy. I want you to be by my side, Rex.’’

He definitely had too many drinks. Maybe Galwy was serving him the wrong kind.

‘‘Ahsoka, look at me.’’ He pointed at his own body, ‘‘I’m no good, not even for myself.’’  _ I’m tired _ he wanted to say.  _ This body aches too much. _

‘‘Appearances can be deceiving,’’ she said like she was reciting a lesson she learned in the Temple, ‘‘We’ve lived long enough to last a few lifetimes, Rexter. It’s only fair if we show a little age.’’

_ Ah… Just like how it was before… _

She could make him laugh whenever she wanted.

‘‘And I might have found a cure for that.’’

Rex’s eye grew wide in shock. She talked that much and never mentioned it?

‘‘Look, it’s not certain. But they might have tried it before and I believe it could at least stop the aging if not reverse it.’’

One of his brothers could be well and alive, living somewhere out there. Just the thought filled his heart with great happiness.

‘‘Who?’’ he managed to ask, stuttering. Ahsoka looked unsure and averted her eyes.

‘‘I’m not sure. Rex, I don’t want to get your hopes up only to let you down.’’ She was scared of disappointing him for something she had nothing to do. That reminded him of a general long forgotten.

‘‘Rebellions are built on hope,’’ He spoke from memory, a young woman he knew but also never knew of popping up in his mind. ‘‘Let me have that, Ahsoka. It’s not… it’s not Echo, right?’’

The last he checked, which was a fairly long ago, Echo was with The Bad Batch, serving under the Empire. They might have taken his limbs and organs but they kept the bloody chip, he found out.

Ahsoka shook her head again but her hold on his shoulder tightened.

‘‘It’s possibly Kix.’’

Rex wanted to laugh in the Emperor’s face for that one. Kix, his dear brother who tried to uncover his plans, outlived him. Life was really a big joke.

‘‘That lucky bastard.’’ He smirked as he tried to imagine him doing whatever he was doing, hanging out in cantinas and having fun in general. Maybe he had a family of his own.

Speaking of families…

‘‘I accept your offer.’’ He spoke as he took Ahsoka’s hand between his own. He brought it to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. ‘‘But what if the rumors turn out to be wrong?’’

Ahsoka shrugged, keeping her gaze on him.

‘‘I want to take my chances. Still, even if it’s just a lie, I will be content with what we have now.’’

Rex smiled at her, the lines around his eyes deepening. He pulled her softly towards himself and pressed their foreheads together.

‘‘That I can agree.’’

And their lips met for the first time of many, many more. An unknown path was before them, however, this time they had each other and just that was enough to light up any darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I continue on this? What do you guys think? 
> 
> Thank you for your time! Hope you will leave a comment!


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